Review: David Guetta - One Love

The more popularity David Guetta gains the lower the quality of his music goes...sad, but true. "One Love" is like a super-album that gathers prominent (predominantly) American R&B singers who kindly lend their vocals for the sake of commercial dance music. Among the featured names are Kelly Rowland, will.i.am, Akon and Estelle, as well as Guetta's long-time vocal guest Chris Willis. Actually the album is so packed with famous people that one could easily miss out who really sits behind the whole production. Another thing is that despite the celebrity dance-floor-stampede "One Love" stands out as more of a filling with a few catchy tunes than an astounding mash-up of electronica and R&B (as it may had been planned).

I miss the French house influences he drew inspiration from and that served as the backbone of his older material. It's pretty obvious that "One Love" is aimed at American listeners, making it by far Guetta's most commercial release. His attempt proved to be successful as both "When Love Takes Over" and "Sexy Bitch" topped Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs and made it in the Billboard Hot 100.

Still, Guetta's fourth studio effort is a must-listen-to for every house fan and an excellent recommendation for anyone who is in it for the party. Apart from that "One Love" shows the extent of one's inflated ego after they truly start taking themselves as big shots. I personally have no idea what the title should stand for anyway as "unity" of any kind is absent. The tracks follow the same pattern - chewy beats, strong black voices and cheesy loops scattered here and there. However, most of the songs hardly make a connection between each other and the track-listing looks like a symposium of "singles" rather than an album with a creative idea. Unlike his previous albums this time Guetta focuses on the vocals and lets his crony buddies to take the lead.

Songs to hear: "One Love", "When Love Takes Over", "Sound of Letting Go" and "Sexy Bitch"

Rating:5/10

Review: DatA - Skywriter

French electro has always been a slippery slope that can lead to the deep waters of failure. Well, David Guillon, the actual name behind the moniker DatA, got away with a few broken ribs and a fair warning not to play that "daft" if he's not absolutely sure about the final result. Don't get me wrong "Skywriter", Guillon's debut LP would have been a fine piece of electronica...if it was released somewhere in the 90s. At some points the similarities to Daft Punk are that obvious that it bloody hurts, despite the probable good intentions.

"Skywriter" comes out after Guillon's string of EP's, which gained him the respect and the critical acclaim by both fans and journalists. Despite all the praise DatA never did get out of the shade of French electro dominated right now by Justice and their alike. Probably Guillon is not striving to acutely distinguish himself from the whole scene, but "Skywriter" is an album you can easily do without if you are in fact too much into the French electro wave. Perhaps a few more original ideas and crucial stylistic efforts could have pulled out a few tricks to entertain the eager listener, but after a few listens "Skywriter" turns out to be little less than exciting.

Justice, hailed by critics as the fresher version of Daft Punk, did cause a small revolution in the rather stagnant French electro scene, but the success formula wore off too soon. Used by too many and too often and one time French electro sounded as an extended load of crap on repeat. DatA makes no exception to the rule...sorry, but we are not that stupid to anxiously anticipate yesterday's news. For what's worth "Skywriter" has a few pleasant tunes to keep aside for better times that safe the album from being the next annoying hyped electro album with no actual perks. Nevertheless, it all depends on your current electro status and if it says anything but French then, I guess, you should come back when the thrill is back.

Songs to hear: "One In A Million", "Rapture", "Skywriter" and "Blood Theme"

Rating: 5/10

Review: Rinocerose - Futurino

Rinocerose (correctly spelled as Rinôçérôse) is one of those criminally underestimated bands that have always been an idea away from their worldwide breakthrough. Probably, loyal fans are happy to keep this band secret, just for their very own pleasure. Still, albums like "Futurino", their fifth proper studio release, proves that it's about time they gained some serious attention. The stylistic variety, the intelligent lyrics and the emotionally balanced flow make Rinocerose an exquisite addition to your extended music library, as well as "Futurino" a fresh look on French music.

Although Jean-Philippe Freu and Patrice Carrie, the brains and body behind the moniker, started Rinocerose as an exclusively electronic project it has moved to the more rocky sound that dominates "Futurino". Elements of dance-punk, new-rave, electro-rock and indiepop are introduced throughout the record by their subtle fusion and incorporation. The album stands somewhere between self-explored maturity and the party flow of independence, bouncing back and forth in accordance to the vibe.

Forget about all the possible surprises! "Futurino" is to be enjoyed right here, right now...with company, or on your own...day or night. An excellent detour from all the pop crap that has been terrorizing our TVs these days; a vacation on the French Riviera, sharing a few drinks and laughs in a dimmed club with the company of dance beats, groovy guitars and sleek vocals. What more to ask for?

Songs to hear: "Tomorrow", "Time Machine", "Head Like A Volcano" and "Touch Me"

Rating: 8/10

The pilot single "Time Machine": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQ_ZbVhUyko

Stuck in my mind: Telepopmusik - Breathe

Summer is here and the music has to fit the season. What better than Telepopmusik's all-time classic "Breathe", which easily is one of the best summer songs I have heard. It's quite funny how odd the whole song is and still it carries that distinctive summer vibe, feeling the sun all over your skin, smelling the salt of sea and awaiting the long lazy hours in the sun. I have always loved the video for it shows how artificial we have become and our emptiness virtually kills anyone who opposes it. Of course, apart from the disturbing message implicated in the video, you'd better get in the holiday mood and prepare for a swim in the depths of the ocean...of music...or?

Stuck in my mind: Mylène Farmer - Rêver

Today I watched for the very first time the official DVD to the Mylenium Tour...the whole concert perfectly matched my mellow mood, that has been haunting me for the last few days. Anyways, it was just now that I've realized the power of the song "Rêver" and despite not knowing French, nor the lyrics it just reached out for me and fascinated me to the fullest. The friend that I was watching the concert with told me that it was dedicated to her deceased brother, who died at a car accident years ago. Perhaps, it is no big deal to most of you, but this helped me understand the message without even knowing the words. I will spare the story that I connected it with as "Rêver" expresses most of the genuine emotions surrounding it!

Recommendation Weekly: Yelle - Pop Up

She's French and dangerous. She's not a role model and certainly not the one you'are going to see on the cover of a beauty magazine. More likely she'll be friends with Peaches and will spit on your face if you try to be original in front of her. Her name is Julie Budet, although she's better known as Yelle. Her debut album "Pop Up" is an electronic mixture gathering clashy beats, witty texts and extravagant fashinosta under one name. Yelle's big breakthrough was the song "Je Veux Te Voir", which is an altered version of the 1994 hit "Short Dick Man" by 20 Fingers. This song disses Cuizinier of the French rap group TTC and turned her into the freshest newcomer in electroclash for an overnight. The video to "Je Veux Te Voir" has the impressive amount of more than 6,5 million plays in YouTube, which is quite astonishing for a little French girl like Yelle.

Giving a listen to "Pop Up" I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the album. I am not very much into French music and I had my doubts about it, but after a try I was hooked. Actually I did so like her that I watched almost every live performance of her in YouTube. Her music came like a kick in the teeth after a long break from cheerful electronica (too much Clan of Xymox :D). But Julie made not just my day, but my whole week as well.

Don't worry, pals! You don't need to know French in order to like her. At least I can't say a whole sentence in her native language and still I am enjoying her to the max. Yelle is one of these performers that can make you stand up and slowly, but surely getting into the rhythm until you find yourself partying all around the place. Still, if you can't get enough of her wait until I show you Uffie!